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INTRODUCTION The total solar eclipse of 2008 August 01 predominantly occurs in extremely sparsely populated regions of the Canadian and European Arctic as well as West Siberia. The zone of the total eclipse begins in the area of the famous Northwest Transit, not far from the settlement Cambridge Bay, and passes over the islands of the Canadian Arctic. Although there are some settlements in the huge region, the umbra however falls only for around 1m37s on Grise Fjord, which counts approx. 160 inhabitants, for passing then through the uninhabited north of Greenland and the polar sea; the extreme northeast of Europe will be touched on the Russian islands of Nowaya Zemlja . The mainland, however, will be only reached on the other side of the Ural Mountains in the Asian part of Russia. In the sparsely populated North West Siberia the maximum eclipse will be listed with 2m27s duration and 104% covering at latitude 65°38’08’’ north and longitude 72°16’04’’ east at 10.21 UT. Around 25 minutes later the umbra falls on the city Novosibirsk in the early afternoon local time for 2m19s. After further cities in the south of Siberia have been witnesses to the rare event, the central zone stretches on both sides of the border between Mongolia and China to the southwest. Towards evening the total eclipse reaches the region around the historical silk road and the Great Wall of China before the eclipse ends in the region between the cities Xian and Zhengzhou at sunset.  In comparison there are the best chances of having a clear sky in the border region between China and Mongolia (climate and weather). You will find a more detailed Introduction to the solar eclipse of 2008 August 01 in our INFORMATION PORTAL "IN THE PLAINS OF ASIA". TRAVEL ADVICE There is one thing you do not have to worry about too much at the observation of the solar eclipse in the Arctic, namely about your security. There is next to no criminality due to the lack of people alone. If you are traveling with a group Siberia and China also are not particularly problematic destinations. A sufficient protection given by vaccination against diseases like diphtheria, polio or hepatitis A and if necessary hepatitis B is not only advisable for journeys abroad. People who go on an eclipse journey into the Arctic have to expect extreme climatic conditions and should be equipped appropriately in the interest of their health; mostly you already receive the tips to it with the travel confirmation. Entry requirements for countries like Mongolia, China or Russia can always change. Because of this, we strongly suggest to inform yourself on the web sites of your Foreign Office or the embassy of your destination. You get also information about SITUATION OF SECURITY in your destination at the Foreign Office. An overview of the necessary health-related requirements appear on the pages of WHO and CDC. We draw your attention to the fact that the loss of expensive astronomical equipment is generally not covered by normal luggage insurance. Special telescope insurance is offered by some amateur astronomers who work as insurance representatives. Caring for your health also means preparing to watch the eclipse safely: - Never look at the sun without suitable eye protection – serious damage or possibly even blindness may result! - Never leave optical appliances unattended – children (and also many adults) are curious and careless. Looking at the sun through a telescope or binoculars without an appropriate filter may irreversibly destroy eye-sight in a mere fraction of a second! - Not only tourists but also many natives, including a great deal of children, will watch the eclipse. In countries such as Ghana or Libya the availability of eclipse glasses may be very limited. Please, therefore, attempt to explain to the people how they can enjoy the experience without putting themselves at risk. Perhaps you could make your own pinhole camera – children are sure to be impressed by the image of the sun’s crescent! - And finally: as soon as the sun is completely eclipsed, i.e. after the diamond ring appearance, the total phase can be observed without any danger whatsoever until the diamond ring reappears. For further information please refer to the following link: Observing Eclipses Safely - compulsory reading by Fred Espenak ORDER YOUR ECLIPSE GLASSES ONLINE TRAVEL OPTIONS OVERLAND JOURNEYS If at all possible you will always want to observe a solar eclipse from the dry land. If you want to guarantee a certain mobility in addition at the same time for having alternatives at inclement weather conditions, first and foremost you can take Novosibirsk and the north of China as destinations into consideration at the solar eclipse of 2008 August 01. The climatic data are in favour of this destinations as well. Because of the position of the Sun which is clearly higher and the good connections by plane the Siberian city probably is the first choice. For people who prefer a more leisurely journey the Transsiberian Railway will be an interesting alternative. A journey off your own bat through Siberia or the Chinese provinces is not everyone’s cup of tea, alone for the reason of the language problems. But do not worry: there aregroup programmes to this solar eclipse. ECLIPSE CRUISES Huge parts of the central zone go through the Arctic Ocean. By favourable ice conditions expedition cruise liners can quite reach the umbra zone in the region of Nunavut at the beginning of August. For the nuclear-powered liners, which people go on North Pole journeys with, the regions north and east of Svalbard are also accessible. For people who are besides the solar eclipse interested in high arctic nature such ventures offer an interesting alternative to land-based observing in Russia or China. For all that, though, an extremly higher weather risk has to be accepted. ECLIPSE FLIGHTS Solar eclipse observation out of a plane have the advantage that you get to see the total eclipse almost certainly. You pay for this advantage with the extensive renunciation of the experience solar eclipse. The event is looking through the small window of the plane more like a film. People who like to film it or to take photos of it have the problem of the unstable platform like it is on a ship. For observing, taking photos and filming through the portholes of the plane easily the Sun must not be too high in the sky. Because of this, on August 1st 2008 observation flights will have as their destination the ends of the central zone, which are accessed best from Canada and China. We offer a charter flight from Central Europe to Novosibirsk where the observation could occur directly at the airport or elsethere in town. The duration of this trip will be just 36 hours. OUR TRAVEL OFFERS AS OF JULY 01, 2008
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